James and his first wife, name undetermined, were the parents of:

i.	James R. Shields, born in 1845 or '46 in Ohio.  He died January 19, 1916, in Adair County, Missouri, and was buried at Bethel Cemetery, near Kirksville.

By June 1, 1850, James had married Electa Brown, who was born about 1826 in Ohio.

They were enumerated in Center Township, Henry County, Iowa, with young James, infant Henry, and (apparently) Electa's mother, Mary Brown.

Also living in Center Township were Electa's brother-in-law and sister, Henry and Jemima Brown Hartman.  James was counted in their home, too, and that listing of James' age was closer to being accurate than the listing in his own home.

The household of J. M. Shields was reported in Center Township in 1854, in the Iowa state census. There were 3 males, 2 females.  J. M. was shown to be a voter and a member of the militia.

Both J. M. Shields and Henry Hartman were listed in the 1859-60 Directory for Henry County, Iowa, published by Watson Brown out of Burlington.  And both couples were enumerated in Center Township in the 1860 Federal Census of Iowa.

Electa died October 22, 1861.  She was buried in Henry County at Pleasant Hill Cemetery, south of Mt. Pleasant.  A photograph of her tombstone has been added to Find A Grave.

James and Electa were the parents of at least 5 children; we are assuming they were all born in Center Township.  The known children were:

i.	Henry B. Shields, born July 26, 1850.  He died September 12, 1913, Marlow, Oklahoma.  Burial at the Marlow Cemetery.
ii.	John Edwin Shields, born December 9, 1854.  He died December 7 or 8, 1919, at Colchester, McDonough County, Illinois, and was buried at Mt. Auburn Cemetery, Colchester.
iii.     Lyman Brown Shields, born March 23, 1857.  He died April 24, 1935, at his residence in Hancock Township, Hancock County, Illinois, and was buried at Majorville Cemetery.
iv.     Lizzie Bell Shields, born August 19, 1859.  She died October 5, 1923, at Colchester, McDonough County.  Interment at Majorville Cemetery.
v.	Mary J. Shields, an infant who died about the same time as Electa, October 22, 1861, in Center Township, Henry County.  Mary J. was also buried at Pleasant Hill Cemetery.

James then married his third wife, Lucinda Bowen.  It is thought that this marriage ended in divorce; the dates are unknown.

James and Lucinda were the parents of:

i.     Ida L. Shields, born January 1, 1865, in Henry County, Iowa.  She died September 23, 1950; burial at Glade City Cemetery, Blandinsville, McDonough County.

In 1866 James Shields brought his children, the newly-widowed Jemima Brown Hartman and at least three of her children to Fountain Green Township, Hancock County, Illinois. The 1870 census recorded the following residents of the Shields home: James and his children, John, Lyman, Lizzie; son Henry and Henry's wife Isabella Roberts Shields; Jemima [Hartman], Scott [Hartman] and Willie [Hartman].

McDonough County marriage license #264 was issued to James M. Shields, 61, and Mrs. Jemima Hartman, 40, both of "Handcock Township, Handcock County", Illinois, on November 10, 1874. They were married on the same day at Colchester, by T. J. Bowman, Justice of the Peace. Accompanying the license was an affidavit signed by James M. Shields, stating that he was over the age of 21 years and that Jemima was over the age of 18.

Jemima

At the time of the 1880 Illinois census, the household included: James "A" and Jemima, Lyman, Elisabeth [Lizzie], Ida, all with the surname "Sheilds", and Willard "Heartman". James Madison Shields died September 27, 1892.  Jemima Brown Hartman Shields died June 3, 1903.  Both were buried at Majorville Cemetery.  Click here for more information on Jemima and the Hartman children.

Madison Shields, 25, male, farmer, born OH
Electa, 24, female, born OH
James, 6, male, born OH
Henry, 1/12, male, born IA
Mary Brown, 56, born PA

Henry Heartman, 32, male, farmer, born PA
Jemima, 22, female, born OH
Francis, 1, male, born OH
James M Shields, 35, male, farmer, born OH

J M Shields, 44, male, farmer, value of real estate 3000, value of personal estate 1500, born OH; attended school within the year - 2 [perhaps 2 children living in this household attended school within the year]
Electa, 33, female, born OH
James, 15, male, born OH
Henry, 10, male, born IA
John, 5, male, born IA
Lyman, 3, male, born IA
Eliza B, 10/12, female, born IA
Edith David, 25, female, domestic, born OH

Shields, James, 57, male, white, farmer, value of real estate 5000, value of personal estate 2000, born OH, father foreign born, male citizen of the U.S. aged 21 or more
[continued on the next page]
Shields, John, 15, male, white, born IA, attended school within the year
[Shields], Lyman, 13, male, white, born IA, attended school within the year
[Hartman], Jemima, 40, female, white, born OH
[Hartman], Scott, 10, male, white, born IA, attended school within the year
[Hartman], Willie, 4, male, white, born IA
[Hartman], Mary, 12, female, white, born IA, attended school within the year
[Shields], Lizzie, 10, female, white, born IA, attended school within the year
[Shields], Henry, 19, male, white, farmer, born IA
[Shields], Isabella, 21, female, white, keeping house, born IL [Isabella Roberts, Henry's wife]

Sheilds, James A [sic], white, male, 61, married, farmer, born OH, both parents born Ireland
Jemima, white, female, 51, wife, married, keeping house, born OH, father born NY, mother
born PA
Lyman, white, male, 21, son, single, farmer, born IA, both parents born OH
Elisabeth, white, female, 20, daughter, single, born IA, both parents born OH
Ida, white, female, 14, daughter, single, born IA, both parents born OH
Heartman, Willard, white, male, 13, step son, single, born IA, father born PA, mother born OH